Amy Jo Johnson

"Grow enough to be consistently happy."- Amy Jo Johnson, on her motto in life.

Actress, singer-songwriter and musician Amy Jo Johnson is best-known for playing the Pink Ranger in the Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers series from 1993 to 1995, and Julie Emrick on the WB series Felicity from 1998 to 2000. She has also been a regular cast member on The Division and Wildfire, and has released a few solo albums since 2001.

SEX APPEAL

If you're into petite women with a sleek, athletic build, then former competitive gymnast Amy Jo would be right up your alley. We're glad that we're all grown up and can now appreciate her on a whole other level than when she was a debutante Power Ranger. She definitely gets our vote for sexiest former Power Ranger, thanks to her brief nude scene in the indie film Pursuit of Happiness (2001).

SUCCESS

Amy Jo hasn't risen to the A-list of Hollywood actresses or even its B-list, although her visibility has increased considerably since the years she donned a Pink Ranger costume. She has taken on a number of diverse roles, though none of them have entirely erased the memories a whole generation of TV viewers retain of her from the mid-'90s. Besides helping to launch her career as a thespian, she also holds the distinction of being the longest-running female Ranger, although we're certain that she'd rather be remembered for other accomplishments she's achieved since, such as having her original music heard in The Division, and used as the main title theme of Felicity.

Beyond her professional career as an actress and musician, Johnson has been actively involved with the Planned Parenthood organization. In April 2004, she participated in the March for Reproductive Rights in Washington, D.C., joining more than a million others in the biggest march in U.S. history. On the eve of the historic march on the capitol, Amy Jo had the honorable distinction of closing the international rally for the movement with a speech.

Amy Jo Johnson Biography

Amy Jo Johnson was born on October 6, 1970, in Cape Cod, Massachusetts. She began training as a gymnast when she was 7, and after years of dedication and discipline to the sport, made it to the class one level -- the pinnacle of competitive gymnastics. Her goal, like that of many top athletes, was to make it all the way to the Olympics. She competed in several international events before an injury put a halt to her career at the age of 17.

amy jo johnson is the pink ranger

In 1989, Johnson relocated to New York City to study acting at the Lee Strasberg Theatre Institute and the American Musical and Acting Academy. She eventually left the Big Apple for Los Angeles, and thanks to her experience as a gymnast, landed the role of Kimberly Ann Hart, the Pink Ranger, on the kids' TV series Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers. The show debuted in 1993 and became a huge hit. Johnson also appeared in Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers: The Movie in 1995, and left the show around this time to pursue other acting roles.

Work became more sporadic after she hung up her Pink Ranger outfit in 1995. She starred as the title character in the 1996 Disney Channel TV movie Susie Q, and appeared in an episode of Saved by the Bell: The New Class that same year. In 1997, she picked up parts in the TV movies Killing Mr. Griffin and Perfect Body. She reappeared as Kimberly Hart on the big screen in 1997's Turbo: A Power Rangers Movie, while the following year she portrayed a vampire named Alicia in the cult horror flick Cold Hearts.

amy jo johnson on felicity

In 1998, Johnson landed the role of Julie Emrick, best friend of the title character played by Keri Russell, on the WB drama Felicity. Despite the success of the series, the actress left the show in 2000 for personal reasons. Her mother passed away in 1998, and Johnson felt that the pace of the show's shooting schedule had not given her the opportunity to properly grieve her loss. She returned to reprise the role of Julie in 2002 for the show's final episodes.

Between the time Johnson landed her role on Felicity and the last show of the series, she starred as Nansi Nevins in the made-for-TV bio about the ‘60s rock band Sweetwater in Sweetwater: A True Rock Story (1999). She also starred in the feature films Pursuit of Happiness (2001), Liars Club (2001), Interstate 60 (2002) and Infested (2002), and she guest-starred on episodes of Night Visions, ER and Spin City.

amy jo johnson releases imperfect

In addition to gymnastics and acting, Johnson also found time to pursue a career as a musician and vocalist. She fronted a band called Valhalla, and released a few solo albums to her credit. The Trans-American Treatment was released in 2001, while Imperfect, an intimate performance recorded live in a Hollywood nightclub, dropped in March 2005.

Since production of Felicity ended in 2002, Johnson appeared in the 2003 TV movie Hard Ground, and as Stacy Reynolds on the Lifetime crime-drama series The Division in 2004. In 2005, she coproduced the indie feature In Memory of My Father, appeared in the indie feature Arbie, and debuted in the role of jockey Tina Sharp on the ABC family series Wildfire.

In 2006, Johnson was busier than ever costarring in the TV movies Magma: Volcanic Disaster and Fatal Trust, as well as in the independent features Veritas, Prince of Truth and The Islander. She also appeared in the pilot episode of What About Brian.